[At Home SPArty] [THEME]: A relaxing, at-home spa party catered by professionals for you and your girlfriends (or guy friends, if you really want!). This can be modified for almost any age group, but this version is specifically for teens and young adults. [INVITATIONS]: Have some awesome ideas for this one: {1}Do the invitations on your computer, the normal card-shaped kind. Keep it simple and monochromatic. Put a spa themed picture on the front (like a nail polish bottle, or a hair brush, be creative!) and on the inside, put "It's a SPArty!" and the details of your party. Print them off on pretty textured white paper or thick card paper, and decorate the front with tiny rhinestones. Oooh la la, tres chic! {2}Get small, solid coloured compact mirrors from the dollar store. On the outside, use rhinestone to spell out the guest's first initial (like a monogram thing). Clip the details of the party on a small piece of circular paper inside the mirror. {3}This one is more teen-themed. Go to the dollar store and buy some photo frames (make sure they're not too heavy), and a roll of adhesive magnet. Decorate the frames with anything: feathers, sequins, faux fur, or just leave it the way it is. Find a good picture of you and all your pals, scan it in the comp and print it off on good paper. On the back of each printed picture, write the details of your party. Place the picture in the decorated photo frame, put the adhesive magnet on the back and there you have it - a framed picture for your friends that you can stick in your locker! [DECORATIONS]: For the summer, a cool palette of aqua blue, crisp white and soft lilac is very relaxing and spa-like. During the cooler months, I'd suggest using warmer colors like cranberry and cream. Pick a base color (white works best because it doesn’t overpower) for the table linens and towels, then add accents (like vases, flowers) with other colors. [SETUP]: A basement or living room (somewhere that is out of the way of normal household traffic) works well for this. Take out most of the furniture; save the comfy sofas. Put a large bowl on a side table and fill it with water, floating candles and lilies. Also have a fragrance diffuser, and use relaxing scents such as lavender or jasmine. Play music from a hidden stereo system. You can go with the rainforest sounds if you like but it could get cheesy. Try some light rock or country: Coldplay is always good, the Garden State soundtrack, Sigur Ros, etc. Set up a section for manicures - have a long, narrow table covered with a tablecloth and put comfy chairs on each side. A pedicure station can be a comfy chair and an ottoman nestled in a corner. Leave space for two massage stations, the masseuses will bring the massage beds. Have a large table in one corner with food (more on that later) and, if you like, a "beauty bar" (see below). [THE SPA]: Hire professional estheticians from your fave beauty salon or (if you're on a budget) hire recent graduates from a local beauty school. Chances are, if you have a lot of people, they'll give you a discount. Have a manicurist for every 3 guests, a pedicurist (or foot reflexologist) for every 3-5 guests and 2 masseuses. The professionals will bring basic equipment; you might have to provide things like towels, finger bowls, and nail files. [ACTIVITIES]: {1}Have your guests circle around the stations: mini manicures (a light soak, massage, nail shaping and polish), mini pedicures (soak, quick massage with lotion, nail shaping and polish), and massages. Set out magazines and food for people who are waiting. {2}I also recommend doing those pore-clearing nose strips. They're a fave among my friends (watching all those lil porcupine quill blackheads... eww) but they're also pretty expensive. Good news: you can make your own. Check out spaindex.com and look for the recipes. {3}Waxing! Haha - guaranteed for some cringes and shudders when you mention that dreaded two syllable word. No matter- you can get waxing strips from the drugstore, and its so much more fun to do it with friends. So you can see other people suffer too... have a videocamera ready for those constipated faces and loud YYEEEEOOOUUCHS! {4}Stick in a beginner's yoga or Pilates tape (borrow it from the library) and away you go! {4}Have people decorate their own tank tops and flip flops. Rubber flip flops are cheap at Wal-Mart, Old Navy (about $4/pair) or Michaels ($3-normal ssandals, $5-wedge sandals). As for the tank tops, get the ribbed kind (they're the most versatile) from Wal-Mart, Target or Old Navy. Buy these in cool colors or get your friends to bring their own, grab some funky decorations from the dollar store or Wal-mart: rhinestones, beads, sequins, silk flowers (and don't forget the puffy paint)! ...voila! You're a super-hot female!!! [MENU]: This isn't a junk food party, ladies. For drinks, have 'spa water' (water with cucumbers and lemon slices or Perrier. Fruit smoothies are great too. Have simple snacks like homemade chicken fajitas (mmm...), salad with light dressing, and vegetable soup. Set out bowls of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and also a large bowls of plain (or vanilla flavored) yogurt. Have your friends make their own yogurt parfaits, and garnish them with honey and granola. [BEAUTY BAR]: This is a separate table with lots of take-home goodies for your guests. Finally, party favors that they'll actually USE: lip glosses (try Dessert Lip Gloss or Lip Fusion from Sephora, they have gift sets so you can get lots of "mini lip glosses"-perfect for party favors!), nail polish, nail files, nail buffers, mini hand lotions (OPI has an "Avojuice" mini that's about $2), face masks (the packaged kind you get at drugstores), pumice stones, bath salts, etc. Stick to the good stuff: don't raid the dollar store for this. [TIME & COST]: This is cost calculated per guest (subject to change depending on your budget - this is the 'deluxe version' with everything). Manicure{20min}-$8 (a beauty school student) to ($25 professional)/Pedicure{30min}-$12(student) to $35 (professional)/Massage{20min}-$20/Tank Top{20min}-$5/Flip Flops{20min}-$3/Waxing& Nose Strips{30min}-$3/Yoga or Pilates{60min}-no cost/Favours-$10/Food-$5 [PLACES TO SHOP/HELP SITES]: spaindex.com|Michaels|Target|Wal-mart|Old Navy|Drugstores|Dollar Store|Sephora